The stimulatory effect of luteinizing hormone on adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate accumulation in corpus luteum slices.

The presence of adenosine 3’,5’-monophosphate was demonstrated in bovine luteal tissue. The addition of luteinizing hormone to incubating slices of a bovine corpus luteum caused a rapid accumulation of this cyclic nucleotide which preceded the increase in progesterone synthesis. This effect appeared to be specific for luteinizing hormone. Puromycin did not inhibit this action of luteinizing hormone on cyclic AMP accumulation. In view of the previous finding that exogenous cyclic AMP added to incubating slices can mimic the effect of luteinizing hormone on steroidogenesis, these results indicate that the cyclic nucleotide is a mediator of this action of luteinizing hormone. An increase in the concentration of cyclic AMP has also been demonstrated in a human corpus luteum stimulated in vifro by human chorionic gonadotropin.